Alcohol

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​University Policy

DePaul community members owe it to themselves and others to make educated decisions about their use or distribution of alcohol. The State of Illinois prohibits the sale, use or possession of all forms of alcoholic beverages by persons under 21 years of age. Students are responsible for adhering to the university Drug Free Workplace & Legal Drinking Age Compliance policy. Students living on campus should consult the Guide to Student Housing for additional information about alcohol policies and prohibitions in the residence halls.

Health Promotion & Wellness

DePaul University expects students to uphold the law when it comes to the purchase and consumption of alcohol. This institution also seeks to educate students about making safe, responsible decisions when it comes to substance use. The Alcohol & Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist is the point of contact for all outreach and initiatives pertaining to responsible substance use. Students who are found responsible for violating DePaul University’s alcohol policy may be mandated to meet with the Alcohol & Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist and participate in an intervention called BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students). Other students may also request to meet with the Alcohol & Drug Prevention Specialist and/or participate in BASICS. Students who have concerns about their alcohol use (or someone else’s) may contact the Alcohol & Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist at any time and will not get into trouble for seeking help or information. The Alcohol & Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist can be reached at (773) 325-4550.

Students should be prepared to seek help or call 911 when a peer may be experiencing a drug overdose or alcohol poisoning. Students are expected to take action in such situations and not be a passive bystander. Here are the symptoms of alcohol poisoning, and remember that not all symptoms need to be present for alcohol poisoning to occur:

Person is unconscious and cannot be roused;

Person is in a stupor or exhibits confusion;

Person is vomiting (prop unconscious persons on their sides so that they won’t choke on their own vomit);

Skin is pale, has a blue tinge, and/or skin is unusually cold to the touch;

Drug overdoses can vary depending on the drug consumed, but here is a general list of symptoms that indicate help is needed. Remember that not all symptoms need be present for an overdose to occur:

Abnormal pupil size;

Agitation , aggressive, and/or violent behavior;

Convulsions ;

Delusional or paranoid behavior;

Difficulty breathing ;

Drowsiness ;

Hallucinations;

Nausea and vomiting;

Nonreactive pupils (pupils that do not change size when exposed to light);

Staggering or unsteady gait;

Sweating or extremely dry, hot skin;

Tremors;

Unconsciousness or death.

Additionally, the following regulations govern alcohol use by students and student organizations:

All casual possession or consumption of alcohol by students in designated common or non-reserved areas on university premises is prohibited regardless of age.

For specific policies regarding alcoholic beverages in the residence halls, please see the Guide to Student Housing.

Consumption of alcohol which results in behavior that infringes on the rights of others in the community is prohibited.

Alcoholic beverages may not be served at student-sponsored or student organization-sponsored events without written authorization from the Associate Vice President for Student Advocacy and Community Affairs or his/her designee. Authorization will not be given to any student organization that is hosting an event at which students under 21 will, or could be, present. Notification of such authorization will be sent to the student organization itself, the organization's moderator/advisor, the building director and the Public Safety Office.

This authorization will detail the provisions for maintaining control of the consumption of alcoholic beverages at the event. In making the final determination for authorization, the Associate Vice President for Student Advocacy and Community Affairs or his/her designee will consider the following points:

the presence of adequate control measures (e.g., hiring a professional bartender to serve alcohol, security, presence of university representative, method of age identification and monitoring of the event, etc.);

the type of event;

adherence to area/building procedures;

the presence of food and nonalcoholic beverages in a prominent place; and

the possible requirement of a special events permit or other license to dispense alcoholic beverages.

Depending on the location and type of event, student organizations that are sponsoring events should also consult the Catering Services Exclusivity policy and Catering Donations policy.

Student organizations may not advertise the availability of alcohol in their event publicity.

When student organizations sponsor events at which alcoholic beverages are offered for consumption, the organization and its officers shall be solely responsible for the conduct of such affairs in accord with civil law and university policies.